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Last episode, I said I tell you what my E3 was like. Well, that’s easy. Basically, I saw nothing at E3 this year. Well, literally, I guess I should say “almost nothing,” but I’ll get to that later.

Monday, the day before the show opened, I could have walked around the show floor while everyone was setting up, but instead I found myself doing a couple of interviews (including one two hour, on-camera thing that was a ton of fun. I can’t talk about that one yet…).

But the big deal that first day was a rehearsal for the Nintendo press conference at the Nokia Theater. Talk about a thrill!

First, just walking out on that stage, where American Idol finalists sing for 7000 people and all, was fantastic. You don’t want to know how many times I was asked if I was nervous or scared. The honest answer is “no.” I love talking to people about games, whether it’s one person or thousands. It was just an incredible scene and ended up being as much fun as I expected it to be.

Frankly, one of the reasons it was so exciting and fun was Nintendo. Everyone at Nintendo, from the very top of the organization to the guys in the trenches, was incredible. The feeling of family, the sense of being on a mission, the development-centered culture was palpable. I have no idea what it’s really like to work at Nintendo, but if the outward projection of the company’s culture is anything like the working environment… well, let’s just say I have a richer understanding of why Nintendo games look, feel and play the way they do. Joy and positivity in the environment must translate to similar quality in the work, right? I should be so lucky as to create an environment like that at a studio of my own someday!

And the really cool bit? Everyone I met that first day at the rehearsal made me and Adam Creighton (the Junction Point producer, who drove my demos), feel like a part of the Nintendo family and contributors to the company’s mission. That was really special.

Anyway, from the Nintendo rehearsal, it was over to the Disney booth to rehearse for our own on-stage demos – two 15-ish minute demos a day, followed by a show by Disney Fine Artist, David Garibaldi.

Meeting David at the Disney rehearsals was over the top cool. I have some of his artwork on my walls at home, and I’d already seen some of his magical dance/music/art shows on video (you just have to see him in action for yourself to get a sense of how incredible his work is…). I guess what I’m saying is I’m a fan and was really pleased to meet him and be able to tell him so. It’s hard to imagine anyone better-suited to the task of bringing some of the Disney Epic Mickey characters and locations to life in new ways. He outdid himself!

From there, it was over to a theater to catch a sneak screening of Toy Story 3. Yowza! There was much laughing and crying… I definitely steamed up the ol’ 3D glasses, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Just pick yourself up and see it yourself, if you haven’t already.

That was Monday – interviews and rehearsals and Pixar’s latest. Day over. Saw nothing…

One Response to “E3 2010 or “Two Rooms, Eight Walls and the Coolest Thing Ever,” Part 2”

I’m typing this in hopes that you can and will read this. I’m a huge Disney fan, and I hope to pick up Epic Mickey on the day of launch, I’ve been looking forward to the game since the Concept Art got leaked, since the Game Informer magazine coverage, and so on. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve seen about Epic Mickey so far, and every inkling, if you’ll pardon the pun, of footage or information is only making me more excited. There is one thing, I would like to bring to your attention, however.

Now don’t get too excited, I’m not gonna complain about “needs more grimdark” or anything like that, what I have, I guess you could call it a request, and I ask that you hear me out.

You mentioned that Epic Mickey will basically be full of Disney stuff, old, forgotten, and so on. What I want to see in Epic Mickey, more than anything, is some kind of Winnie The Pooh area, or reference, or something. In one of the concept arts that got leaked, there was a machine made of many Disney characters. Donald, Goofy, Iago, Jafar, even the Crocodile from Peter Pan. But the one that got my attention most, was the angry-looking, fanged Tigger upon the beast’s shoulder.

“This would be amazing,” I thought, “If Warren Spector, would take the boldest childhood memory of mine, and make it dangerous, if not downright scary.” That was the last I saw of anything Winnie the Pooh in Epic Mickey, I hope you haven’t decided not to include the titular character, Tigger, Piglet, and so on. Now, I’m not saying if you don’t, I won’t get the game, far from it, but I’m sure many people besides myself would like to see it happen.

Either way, if you’ve read this, thank you for taking the time to do so.